Top 8 today

Top eight stories for today including the U.S. economy gained 311,000 jobs; A near complete absence of public charging stations for electric trucks in California presents a major obstacle for truckers to go green; The British prime minister and French president met in Paris, and more.

National

US employers add 311,000 jobs as hiring hot streak rolls on

The U.S. economy gained 311,000 jobs in February, a sign the labor market has been unfazed by the government’s attempt to slow economic growth through higher interest rates.

A hiring sign is displayed in Arlington Heights, Ill., on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

White House mum on Covid-19 origins bill awaiting Biden’s signature

Congress put their unanimous support Friday behind a resolution that directs the intelligence community to publicly share what it knows about the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the White House offered little insight this afternoon about whether President Joe Biden will sign the measure.

Security personnel gather near the entrance of the Wuhan Institute of Virology during a visit by the World Health Organization team in Wuhan in China's Hubei province on Feb. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

‘Access Hollywood’ tape, multiple Trump accusers, will feature in civil rape trial

Three women are expected to accuse Donald Trump of sexual assault at a civil trial starting next month, following a ruling Friday that also allowed into evidence the notorious “Access Hollywood” tape that surfaced during Trump’s first presidential campaign.

Screenshot from video filmed in 2005 shows Donald Trump (foreground) and reporter Billy Bush exiting a production bus for the television show "Access Hollywood" after Trump had just stated into a live microphone that, "when you're a star," you can do whatever you want with women. "Grab 'em by the pussy," Trump offered as an example. (NBC footage via Courthouse News)

Regional

Move to green trucks at California ports faces gaping infrastructure void

California has committed itself to phasing out the heavy-duty diesel trucks that haul containers from the ports to inland destinations by 2035, but a near complete absence of public charging stations for electric trucks presents a major obstacle for truckers to go green.

Trucks queuing at a container terminal gate (photo courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles)

California starts year with nearly 97,000 jobs added

The Golden State added 96,700 new jobs in January, a gain that accounted for nearly 19% of the nation's 517,000 new jobs added.

(Image by Manuela Jaeger from Pixabay via Courthouse News)

Probe reveals deep ties between Tom Girardi, state bar

Disgraced lawyer Tom Girardi, once among the most successful and powerful plaintiff's attorneys in the country, gave more than $1 million in gifts and payments to a state bar investigator and his wife, according to a corruption probe by the State Bar of California released Friday.

Tom Girardi smiles outside a Los Angeles courthouse on Wednesday, July 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

International

Biden, EU chief seek to forge stronger front against China, Russia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen headed to the White House on Friday to hammer out new economic and political deals to strengthen the transatlantic alliance against Russia and China.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, left, speaks with U.S. President Joe Biden at the global meeting of G20 leaders in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 15, 2022. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Sunak meets Macron to resolve UK-France refugee tensions

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was in Paris on Friday meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, in the first bilateral summit between the neighboring countries in five years.